Brass Fork

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Overview

Go on, Take a bite!

Brass Fork is a burger house that balances a semi-luxurious experience with a classic, casual, and friendly tone of voice. They offer thoughtfully crafted burgers, including homemade and customizable options, within a warm wooden interior. Strong visual contrast that is led by scarlet red and deep navy creates a bold yet refined identity. A small fork illustration adds approachability, ensuring the brand feels welcoming without losing its sense of sophistication.

Year

February - April 2026

Duration

8 Weeks

Type

Branding

Role

Branding Designer

Tools Used

Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator

Brass Fork required a brand identity that feels both refined and approachable, developed through logo systems and packaging design.

Challenges

Brass Fork aimed to express two contrasting characteristics — luxury and friendliness. Balancing these opposing characteristics required a clear prioritization to avoid a diluted or inconsistent identity. It was significant to define a core direction while still allowing both characteristics to coexist without overwhelming the brand. Maintaining this balance throughout the process demanded consistent decision-making across colour, typography, layout, and illustration, ensuring the identity remained cohesive and intentional.

Approach & Key Process

01 Context Discover

Brand Study

Reviewed the positioning of a casual burger house aiming to balance refinement with approachability, focusing on how everyday food experiences can feel slightly elevated without losing comfort.

Audience Understanding

Identified customers seeking familiar, high-quality comfort food with a more considered and visually refined experience.

Category Exploration

Analyzed the visual and verbal language of burger and fast-casual brands to identify gaps between overly playful fast food and overly formal dining.

Concept Foundation

Defined the core idea as approachable refinement—creating a brand that feels calm and premium while remaining friendly and accessible.

02 Direction Frame

Concept Development

Established contrast as the central design strategy to balance the brand’s dual personality—refined yet welcoming.

Brand Positioning

Positioned Brass Fork as a burger house offering a slightly elevated experience through thoughtful design, quality perception, and controlled visual expression.

Naming Context

Leveraged the name “Brass Fork” as a metaphor combining utility and material richness, informing both the visual identity and the introduction of a fork-based character.

03 Design Develop

Identity System Design

Logo & Mark

Developed a logo system centred around a fork motif, reinforcing the brand name while introducing a subtle sense of character.

Visual Language

Built a cohesive system using deep navy and scarlet red to create strong contrast, supported by a combination of serif and sans-serif typefaces to balance classic and contemporary tones.

Graphic Elements

Introduced restrained patterns and minimal illustration to add variation without compromising clarity or sophistication.

Applications

Extended the identity across packaging (burger boxes, cups), printed materials, and brand touchpoints to ensure consistency and scalability.

04 Outcome Showcase

Brand System Finalization

Mockups & Applications

Final Presentation

Solution

I began establishing clear contrast in branding. It was essential to balance the brand’s dual identity of refinement and approachability. This is expressed through colour, typography, and graphic elements. Scarlet red and deep navy create a bold visual tension, while serif and sans-serif typefaces introduce a balance between classic sophistication and contemporary clarity.

Refinement is treated as the primary characteristic, with approachability introduced as a secondary layer. Navy provides a calm and stable foundation, while red adds energy and appetite. Serif typography reinforces a classic and premium tone, whereas sans-serif typefaces improve legibility and modernity. Similarly, solid colour fields establish structure and restraint, while selective pattern use introduces subtle variation. Through these controlled contrasts, Brass Fork maintains a refined presence while remaining accessible and engaging.

Illustration

Restrained Illustration System

To support a sense of character without compromising sophistication, illustration is intentionally limited to a single element, which is the fork. This minimal approach reinforces the brand name directly while avoiding visual clutter. By restricting illustration to one consistent motif, the identity retains clarity and control. The fork introduces a subtle sense of personality, softening the overall tone without shifting it away from its refined foundation. This restrained use of illustration allows Brass Fork to feel approachable and distinctive, while maintaining a composed and cohesive visual language.